Batman and Beatrix
by EllaFant
Summary: This story is about Batman meeting a girl named Beatrix and recruits her into being his sidekick, but is she prepared for the challenge?
1. Chapter 1

He was known as the Myth, the Legend, the Dark Knight. Everyone had heard of him, though few had ever seen him. They say he would come and go in an instant, leaving no trace of his presence other than tied up criminals, waiting to be taken to jail. Some would say he was more than human, a monster maybe. A monster thirsty for justice. Some believe he had spawned from a story to scare criminals out of there crimes, others knew this explanation failed to explain the sudden wave of mysteriously captured criminals. The few criminals who have had the unfortunate of seeing him face to face claimed he called himself, "Batman". * * * "Care to explain your endeavors, Master Bruce?" Alfred had just entered the Batcave, carrying a silver china platter in his left hand with a beverage of Bruce's favorite coffee balancing on top it. Bruce was found sitting at his chair in front of the bat-computer, dressed in his usual evening attire, the Batsuit. "You know I'm not much of a talker, Alfred," stated Bruce. He took the Beveridge off the plate and took a short sip from it. "Though I think I've tracked down The Scarecrows location. He's escaped Arkham one too many times," Bruce turned to look at his old friend. "I need to find out what he's up to and fast," and without a moment's hesitation, Bruce stood up and headed for the Batmobile. "Do be careful, Master Bruce," Alfred worriedly requested. Without responding, Batman hopped into the car and started up the engine, and in a moment, he was gone. The Batmobile was never truly seen in the night. It's jet black color-scheme blended in perfectly with the night as it zipped around the other cars on the road, making its way to its destination. The vehicle slowed to a stop outside an old and abandoned chemical manufacturing company, the perfect place for the Scarecrows hideout. Quickly, the Dark Knight jumped out of the Batmobile and then draped a dark colored tarp over it, making it practically invisible from a distance. Not that it mattered much, the Batmobile was equipped with a high tech security system. Even if the wrong person were to as much as touch the bare metal of the Batmobiles exterior, an electric shock would surely knock them out, but in Batman's analytical mind, extra precautions should always be taken. Without a sound, the Caped Crusader made his way towards the abandoned building, but he didn't enter through the front doors. No, that would be too easy, too predictable. Instead, Batman used his grappling gun, aka the Batclaw, to swing himself up onto the roof of the facility. Once there, he made his way down into the facility via the vandalization system, just big enough and strong enough to support the Dark Knight and all his utilities as he made his way through. Some ways down through the vandalization system, Batman finally came across an exit, which led into a large room which contained four armed thugs and the door they seemed to be guarding. "That must be where the Scarecrow is hiding, probably scheming his evil plans. I'll have to take these guards down one by one," thought Batman. Then carefully, he lifted his foot and pressed it against the vent. The pushed on the vent until it broke off its hinges and noiselessly he used his hand to push the vent off to the side so he could slip out. He checked his surroundings to make sure no one was watching and quickly used the Batclaw to grapple himself up onto a platform high above the thugs. He surveyed the room like a hawk, planning out his tactics. He soon spotted one of the thugs standing in a corner. He had a nice view of the room in front of him, but oblivious to the area directly behind him. Because of this, he failed to notice a man dressed up in a Batsuit glide down behind him and then proceed to silently take him down by putting one arm over his throat and the other covering his mouth until he passed out. As soon as the job was done, Batman grappled himself back up onto the platform. It was a moment before anyone noticed a guard passed out in the corner of the room. When someone finally did, they started mumbling amongst themselves. "It's the Bat, he's here!" one guard said. "Everyone spread out. Find that Bat!" another said. It was a mistake for them to spread out, only making it easier for Batman to pick them off. Quickly, the Dark Knight swung to another platform using the Batclaw, directly above another guard. And just like a Bat, he hung upside down on the platform and completed an inverted takedown, leaving the thug hanging upside down from the platform, uncautious. The remaining two guards took note of the second uncautious guard, and split up, now terrified. One of the thugs stepped underneath an old wooden platform, which could have been a makeshift storage area for the chemical company many years ago. Batman silently glided to the top of the platform, and then easily smashed through the wooden panels, knocking out the guard underneath. He then quickly maneuvered his way back onto a platform above him. The remaining guard, who eventually realized he was alone, shook with pure terror. He began to shout threats at Batman. "You think I'm afraid of you?" he shouted. "I'm gonna kill you, Batman, you hear?" now that the guard was alone, there was no reason to be silent anymore. Batman began to glide down from his platform above, and kicked him in the back of the head, knocking him over, dazed. Then, Batman picked him up with one hand, and gave him a hard punch to the head with the other, knocking him out. Finally, Batman felt alone in the building. Now, he could search the building for the Scarecrow, and catch him in his traps before any real harm could be done. His first move was to the door that the thugs had been guarding. He quickly and quietly slipped through the door and once inside, began to survey the room. It was a small, dusty little space with the only light coming from a small window letting in a ray of silvery moonlight. The Dark Knight took a few more steps in when he heard the door close hard behind him. He quickly looked around and suddenly felt a pair of hands closing around his throat from behind him. He tried to fight back, but in a matter of seconds, he felt what he thought was surely a needle from a syringe piercing the skin on his neck. And in another instant, the needles were quickly forced out of his neck. Batman was left feeling dizzy and sick. He slowly began to start hearing things. At first, it was like a faint squeal, then gradually grew into what Batman recognized was his mother's scream the moment after his father was shot. Batman turned around to see the masked face of the scarecrow, which now seemed to glow in red light. The screams grew louder as the masked face grew closer and closer. * * * The day before was a Friday, which meant all the students at Gotham High were racing out of the building at four in the afternoon, ready to enjoy their weekend. One of these students, a fifteen-year-old girl named Beatrix Bennett, was wearing her jeans and a t-shirt. She had long, jet black hair and lake green eyes. Unlike most of the other students, Beatrix wasn't that excited to be spending the weekend at her house. Most of her time was spent alone, normally reading, doing homework, or watching TV. She got bored easily and would prefer to be at the school where she was always met with something to do and faced with a new challenge. She was an A's student, and always felt like she had to put her very best in everything she did. She was bright too, at least, that's what her friends had told her. They had said that she doesn't find a challenge where others do, that things come more easily to her. That didn't mean Beatrix was never challenged. There was always something she struggled at, but that wasn't a bad thing, at least, not in Beatrix's eyes. Every challenge was like an adventure to her, with the goal always to overcome that challenge. After all, it can't be impossible if someone's did it before. And yet, there she was, walking back to that little house she was forced to call home, to spend another couple of days in complete boredom. She saw her mother occasionally, Tina, who would normally just to tell her to do something. Her mom wasn't horrible, but Beatrix still wishes she could do something with her other than just work more often. Her dad was even worse, she literally almost never saw him because he was working at the same time Beatrix was home from school. The only times she saw him was a few minutes right as she got home from school, and maybe a couple hours on the weekend. Her dad worked a night job. He would leave in the afternoon, and come home late at night, long after Beatrix had gone to bed. He would still be asleep in the morning when Beatrix got ready for school. Since they lived so close, Beatrix would just walk herself to school and back every day. She never had a ride home like most of the other students had. It was a typical life for Beatrix, but she knew that one day she would make something of herself. Beatrix walked into the already unlocked front door of her house and stepped inside. She said hi to her mom, kissed her dad goodbye and went into her room, where she began to do her homework. * * * Late that night, Beatrix was watching some TV in her room before going to bed when she heard her mom calling to her from the other room. "Beatrix! I forgot to take my sisters Medicean to her again, could you go do that for me?" Beatrix quickly muted her TV and called back to her mother. "Why can't you go do it?" she asked. "I'm busy with the laundry and you don't seem to be occupied at the moment," her mother replied. "It'll only take a minute." Beatrix took a glance out her bedroom window. "But it's dark," she argued. "It's dangerous to go out at night," "Oh, it's not that far away. Just get it over with." "Fine," Beatrix hastily replied. She mumbled something under her breath and got out of her bed. She then quickly took her aunt's medicine off the table and head out the door. The night air hit her face as she walked outside and headed down the streets of Gotham. She knew exactly where her aunt's place was, as this wasn't her first walk over there. She didn't see her aunt much, for she had gotten old and needed help with simple things. The streets were illuminated with lamp posts and some distant sounds such as a dog barking or a car zooming by kept the night alive. With the drug in hand, Beatrix was lost in thought as she made her way to her aunt's house. She thought about how when she was little and she and her aunt would play together in her garden. She remembered her dog, Sparky, who had long passed since she was eleven. She thought about how she and her brother would play in there aunt's kitchen when no one else was around. Her brother, Kyle Bennett, was three years older than her. He had similar black hair and brown, hazelish eyes like their mothers. When they were little, they spend time in their aunt's kitchen talking and laughing and sometimes doing things they knew they weren't supposed to be doing. One time Beatrix particularly remembered was when Kyle, a ten-year-old boy at the time, would climb up onto the countertop and stand up. Kyle would tell her to climb up with him, but she said she was too scared. But eventually, Kyle would talk her into climbing up. Beatrix was afraid of heights, sometimes she thought she was afraid of everything, but there she was, standing on top of the countertop with the big brother in their aunt's kitchen. She was happy for a moment, she had done something she thought she could never do. And then their aunt came in, helped them down and scolding them for doing something dangerous. Afterward, Kyle and Beatrix talked about the event, Beatrix told him that they should stop doing dangerous things so they don't get hurt, but Kyle had said that sometimes, being in a dangerous situation was inevitable and that she needs to learn how to be brave sometimes for when that day comes. Beatrix took Kyle's advice to heart, and she knew that she could be brave whenever she was with him. It was only two years later when the accident occurred. Kyle had been doing something dangerous again, only this time, Beatrix didn't say anything, because she had taken what Kyle had said to heart. Kyle was riding his bike in the middle of the street and didn't see the car turn the corner and hit him head-on. Sometimes Beatrix would blame herself for the incident, but her mom had told her there was nothing she could have done. She said Kyle was too big a daredevil, and all she could do now was to always stay safe. That was six years ago, and for the whole six years, Beatrix had never willingly done anything that might put her into danger. She would try to forget her brother's words, as she didn't want to fall down the same path he had gone down, but sometimes they lingered with her, like a bad smell. _Learn how to be brave, for one day you might have to be. Just do what you have to do at the moment. Use what you have._ Beatrix secretly hoped in her heart she would never have to be brave, as she never truly followed her brothers advice. She could never risk breaking her mother's heart. She thought of this as she turned the corner towards her aunt's house. After a few minutes of walking and thinking, Beatrix passed the old, abandoned building she had become familiar with. It was one of the many places her mother had said to stay away from. Beatrix had never questioned her mother or even thought about disobeying her, not after what happened to her brother. She began to walk past it when she heard a strange sound which seemed to be coming from inside. She stopped to look for a moment, then after a short pause, she continued walking down the path. She heard the noise again, louder this time and again stopped to look. Beatrix had passed by this building many times before, and never once did she see or hear anyone inside. It was abandoned, or at least she thought it was. As she was staring at the building, she began wondering. _What if someone in there is in danger?_ She thought. _What if there's a robbery or something? I can't just let that happen._ She stood there, arguing with herself as to what she should do. Finally, she came to a conclusion. _I'll just go over there and check without being seen. If I see anyone in danger, I'll call the cops._ Beatrix quickly stuck her aunt's medicine in her pocket and slowly walked over to the abandoned building. As she got closer and closer to the old building, built from solid brick and now had a faint, musty smell to it, she began to second guess herself. _I shouldn't be doing this, I could get hurt._ But once Beatrix started something, she was committed to it. _I'll just go in and out, nothing to it._ Beatrix secretly hoped she wouldn't find anything. Maybe it was just the wind or an animal of some sort. Beatrix continued to ponder what could have made the strange noise when she came across a window concealing a hole in one of the buildings many walls. _Just a quick look, and then I'll be on my way._ Beatrix quickly stepped towards the window and took a quick peek through. The room was dark, but in the faint moonlight coming in through the window, Beatrix could make out the silhouette of a man, lying limp on the floor. Beatrix took a quick gasp and crouched down, hoping no one had seen her. She took a deep breath and decided she needed to make sure someone was really hurt before calling the police. Slowly, Beatrix stood back up and peered through the window. She could still see the man lying on the floor. She looked around the room and found an open door and some old supply crates. The room was relatively small. Beatrix could only imagine what could have gone down in there. Then carefully, against her best wishes for herself, she slid open the window and stuck her head through to more carefully examine the man. She noticed what looked like a large, black cape lying over his body. After a moment, Beatrix finally recognized who the figure must be, _Batman._ Beatrix took another gasp and knelt back down. _Batman?_ She wondered. _How?_ Beatrix began to fantasize on what horrors could have gone down in there. What villain could he have fought, and _lost_ to? However, the main question for Beatrix now was, _where is he?_ Quickly, Beatrix slipped out her phone and began to dial 911. She could only hope whoever answered would take her seriously. She had heard of 911 calls about Batman, and the emergency place would just hang up, not even beginning to take them seriously. Most people knew Batman existed or at least said they knew, but others would completely deny the whole matter, the man, the stories, everything. Beatrix, however, was indifferent. Whenever something that had to do with Batman was on the news, her mother would say that whomever Batman is, she could only hope he was on the good side and doing the right thing. Now, Beatrix had to trust that Batman really was a good guy, as she was about to call the police to come to help him. Once Beatrix finally dialed the number, she put her phone to her ear and crossed her fingers. "This is 911, what's your emergency?" Beatrix heard coming from the phone. When she first heard a word, she winced, afraid the phone call may be too loud. She had to take her chances. "Hello?" she asked. "My name is Beatrix Bennett. I'm outside an old building near the corner of Central Road and Submit Lane," she paused for a moment before saying, "I think I see Batman in there." After a moment when she headed a _beep-beep-beep_ in return, she checked her phone. The words, 'call ended' showed across the screen. "No, no, no, no," Beatrix whispered to herself once she realized she had been hung up on. Beatrix took short, quick breaths as she tried to figure out what to do. She had been ignored and hung up on, and she couldn't just leave Batman in there to die. After hesitating a moment, Beatrix took another glance inside the building. She watched for a few seconds before a man walked in through the door. Beatrix jumped back a little but didn't stop watching. She could only hope now that she wouldn't be seen. The man was wearing all black, his face indistinguishable in the dark. In his right hand, he carried a long rope. The strange figure walked towards the uncautious Batman and sat him up straight. He then tied the rope hard around his arms and legs and then walked out through the door. Beatrix new she had to do something, and right now, untying Batman was the best she could do. She thought through her plan over and over. _Open the window, get in, untie the ropes and get out._ It sounded simple enough. If it weren't for the stake, it would sound like no big deal for her. The problem was, she didn't know what was at stake, which made her fear all the more powerful. Taking in a deep breath, Beatrix counted down from three and opened the window. It squeaked a little as it went up, but nothing Beatrix couldn't handle. The little hole that was left was just big enough for Beatrix to slide through. She quietly stepped onto the floor on the other side and quickly got down on her hands and knees. Beatrix then crawled over to Batman and found where the knot had been tied. It took a great deal of strength to pull the rope apart from itself. Once she was finished with the hands, Beatrix felt down to untie his feet. It was then when Batman let out a little moan, signaling to Beatrix that he was about to wake up. Beatrix's heart began to race as she untied the rope around his boots. As soon as she realized the ropes were loose, she ran back over to the window, not even having time to think about what she had just done. Beatrix was about to step through the window when she heard footsteps coming from outside the door. Without a moment's hesitation, Beatrix dodged behind the crates, just in time as she heard the door open and someone steps inside. Beatrix didn't dare breath, and it wasn't till then when she realized he hasn't been breathing since she first got in. Beatrix was just able to make out what was happening through a small crack between two crates. She saw batman stir as he woke up, and a tall figure standing above him. Beatrix imagined it could have been the same person as earlier. Batman looked around and saw the ropes wrapped around his body, making it look like he was still tied up. Beatrix noticed his blue eyes reflecting off the moonlight. The tall figure stood close to him, not suspecting an attack. Batman wasn't sure why there were untied ropes wrapped around him, but he took advantage of his freedom and surprise attacked the man standing before him. At first, the figure was stunned, but not a second too long, for in a moment he counter attacked and sent Batman to the ground. The two wrestled a moment before Beatrix realized, Batman was _loosing_. _How?_ She thought. _Why? Isn't Batman supposed to be the best?_ Beatrix felt stuck, she didn't know what to do. She began checking her surroundings, looking for something, though she didn't know what. In the faint light, Beatrix made out a pile of glass containers nearby, roughly the size of a water bottle. She picked one up. It was dusty and empty. Beatrix wondered if she could use the bottle as a weapon of some sort. She figured hitting the man beating Batman with a glass bottle wouldn't only give away her position, it could land her in serious trouble, but she had to help Batman somehow. And then, it came to her. _What if I caused a sort of distraction?_ She asked herself. Quickly, Beatrix took in a deep breath and through the bottle right at the wall directly behind the man, causing him to look around, and giving Batman an opportunity to attack from behind, which he took, and sent the man to the ground, uncautious. There was a silence for a moment, and then Batman turned and looked directly at Beatrix, who was now exposed from behind the crates. "What are you doing here?" Batman's deep voice and serious tone startled Beatrix. "I... I had to… I couldn't..." Beatrix stumbled trying to find the right words. "Go! Get out of here before your hurt!" Beatrix stared at the large man a moment, frozen in place. "GO!" Batman yelled, which sent Beatrix running towards the window. She quickly pulled herself through and took off down the street towards her aunt's house. She didn't slow down until she made it inside the house. Once she knew she was safe, she thought about what had just happened to her. About how she just did something she never previously thought she would do. But the fact was, there wasn't a whole lot else she could have done. She did exactly what she thought she had to do, and knowing that helped her settle down. She only hoped she would never have to do that again. * * * Inside of an abandoned chemical manufacturing building somewhere in Gotham, all Batman knew was that he had to find The Scarecrow and stop him in his tracks before the consequences are paid. Batman hoped that as long as The Scarecrow still thought he was caught in his trap, he would have an advantage in taking him down. Batman hurried out the room he had been lured into and started scanning the place for a potential hiding place for The Scarecrow. Soon, Batman spotted something up above him he hadn't noticed before. It seemed to be a small tunnel going in from the ceiling. Batman tried to grapple himself up onto the platform where the tunnel led into, but his utility belt was missing. Batman realized it must have been removed from him while he was unconscious. He was going to have to find another way up. Batman thought out his plan. In the room was the door he had just came out of, a window perched above and the platform he intended to get on. If he could balance himself on top of the door, jump up and grab onto the window frame, and swing from the window frame to the platform, he may not even need the Batclaw. Batman quickly made his way up onto the door. It swinged a little as he pulled himself up, but he managed to keep his balance. The looked up at the window ledge and pounced up like a cat. The door slammed closed behind him and he managed to grasp the ledge with his fingertips. He pulled himself onto the ledge and looked up to see the platform. From this angle, Batman noticed a couple of bricks sticking out of the surface of the wall, which could help him climb up. Batman jumped off the ledge and grabbed a brick with one hand and the other brick with the other. From here, he managed to swing onto the platform and pull himself up. Batman crawled through the tunnel which eventually led him into a room. The room could have been an office, as inside there was a computer, old files and other little pieces of machinery. In the dark corner, Batman could see what looked like The Scarecrow. He couldn't tell what he was doing, but he was in the perfect position to be taken down. Looking around, Batman also found his utility belt, lying on an old desk. Batman thought out his plan. First the utility belt, then The Scarecrow. Batman silently jumped to the ground and made his way towards the desk. Once he felt he was well hidden behind the desk, he reached out and quickly grabbed his utility belt. In that exact moment, he heard a click, and soon found himself coughing, struggling to breath. The Scarecrow turned around and eyed Batman. "You underestimate me Batman. I'm prepared for anything," The Scarecrow said in a low, hissing voice. Quickly, Batman strapped his belt around his waist and grappled himself back onto the platform, coughing as he did so. "You can't get away from me, Batman," the hissing voice called back to him. Batman softly began to hear his mother's screams coming back from somewhere inside his head. "No, no," Batman mumbled to himself as he tried to shake the horrible feeling. Batman crawled back through the tunnel as the screams grew louder and louder. Batman jumped back down off the platform and began making his way towards the exit. Directly in front of him, Batman could see his parents dead in the middle of the floor. He looked around him and saw The Scarecrow, standing right behind him in an early light. "I have you now, Batman," The Scarecrows hissing voice seemed to boom in his ears as the dark figure bagan moving closer and closer to him. All Batman could think to do was start running as his head was now filled with a horrible shrieking. Batman blasted through a door and ran outside. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as he searched for the Batmobile. Batman was running, until what he found to be what he was sure had to be the Batmobile. He threw off the tarp and underneath sat what appeared to be a horrible, bat-shaped monster, staring at him hard in the eyes. Batman heard himself scream, but nevertheless he opened the car door and got into the car. He slammed the door back hard and set the Batmobiles built in navigation system to take him back to the Batcave. He felt the car begin to move, along with a sense of complete terror engulfing him, trapping him. The last thing he heard were the screams of his dead mother as he passed out in the Batmobile.


	2. Chapter 2

Beatrix hadn't told anyone of her little run-in with Batman in the week following. She couldn't. She couldn't bare risking giving her mother a heart attack. She knew no one at school would believe her, and she never got to see her father anyway. Beatrix knew she didn't get hurt, and that everything was fine, but she still couldn't risk her mother finding out. The odds of something bad happening were too high, and for all Beatrix knew, she had done exactly what she felt was the right thing to do at the moment. Maybe not the smartest thing or the safest thing, but the right thing, and maybe she had saved Batman's life. What was done was done, and no one else needed to know about it.

Beatrix was finishing her homework at the desk in her room while her mother was somewhere in the kitchen, probably cleaning, when the doorbell rang.

"Beatrix? Would you get that for me Honey?" her mother called to her from the kitchen. Beatrix sighed and stood up from her desk. Beatrix opened the front door to be greeted with a man and a woman. The man was holding a large camara, and the woman a microphone. Parked on the curb behind them was a white van with the words, 'News Channel 11' printed in red on the side.

"Hello," the lady said, smiling. "Are you Beatrix Bennett?" Beatrix took in what she was seeing before replying.

"Yes," she replied, with a slight confused tone to her voice.

"Alright then," the lady cleared her throat before proceeding. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jennifer, a reporter for News Channel 11. Let me catch you up on things," she said. "About a week ago, the emergency room got a call from you outside an old chemical factory building. After they heard about Batman being on the scene, they rushed over, but didn't find anyone there. However, they did find some evidence that Batman was there. Some Batarangs and a cord from the Batclaw were found at the scene," the woman pause before continuing. "I would just like to know exactly what you saw in the building and what you did,"

"Who is it Honey?" Beatrix heard her mother's voice coming from somewhere inside the house. She turned around to see her standing in the hallway leading to the front door.

"Hello there," Jennifer called out to the lady standing in the hallway. "My name is Jennifer and I would just like to ask your daughter a few questions," she said.

"Beatrix, what is this?" Tina sounded confused, but worried at the same time.

"I'll explain later," Beatrix replied, acting quickly. "Please, come inside," Beatrix stepped aside and motioned the two into the house. As she closed the door behind them, she began to wonder how much she should tell the reporter, and how much of it should be true. Beatrix thought it might be more respectful to Batman to keep the facts to a minimum, since she knows that he prefers to keep himself a mystery to the public, at least, that's what she assumed. But then again, maybe it's important for everyone to know about Batman, that he really is a good guy. He wanted Beatrix to get to safety, which is why he told her to leave, at least, that's what she assumed was the reason. Beatrix started to wander if even she knew the facts as she lead the reporter and her cameraman into the living room.

Beatrix sat on the couch in the living room as the cameraman sat up in front of her while Jenifer pulled up a chair to sit next to the cameraman. Tina was told she could be in the interview to, so she sat down next to Beatrix on the couch. Once everyone was settled, Jennifer began with the first question.

"So, Beatrix," she started. "Why did you go near the old building in the first place?"

"Well…" Beatrix paused for a moment. "I thought I heard something coming from inside. I thought someone might be in danger, so I went to have a look,"

"Beatrix!" her mother interrupted. "That's dangerous. You know not to go near that place!"

"Well I know, Mother, but I just thought … " Beatrix trailed off.

"Well what's done is done. There's no need to get upset over it now," Jennifer said trying to break up the argument. "Now," Jennifer turned back to Beatrix. "What did you see once you got near the building?"

"Umm …" Beatrix started. "I saw someone in a room inside the building. It looked like they could be hurt. After closer inspection, I realized it was Batman,"

"Oh, my," Tina interrupted again. "Why didn't you tell me any of this, Beatrix?"

"I didn't want to scare you Mother!" Beatrix sounded annoyed. "Not that it matters now anyways," she quickly remarked.

"Ok now," Jennifer said, trying to bring the attention back to her. "And once you realized the man inside the building was Batman, you called the police, correct?"

"Ya," Beatrix replied. "But I was hung up on,"

"I know," Jennifer said. "The man that hung up on you, Jones, was fired for that," Beatrix paused in shock for a moment before asking,

" _Fired?"_

"Yes," Jennifer replied. "It has recently become a new regulation for all GCPD officers to take any reported emergencies involving Batman seriously," Jennifer stated. "So once you realize you've been hung up on, then what did you do?" Beatrix paused for a moment before replying. Should she tell the reporter, and her mom, that she actually went _in_ the building to help Batman. She couldn't imagine what her mother, or the public would think of that. In her moment of hesitation, Beatrix decided to lie about what happened next.

"I saw Batman in the room, and another man walked in. He didn't notice me standing at the window. After a moment, the man and Batman started fighting,"

"But you said Batman may have looked hurt?" Jennifer interrupted.

"Well …" Beatrix struggled to think of something to say. "He may have pretended to look hurt to fool the bad guy, and it worked," she said. "So the two were fighting, and eventually, Batman won. He then left the room without noticing me," Beatrix stated. "After that, I got away from the building as quick as I could, glad that Batman was safe,"

"Oh," said Tina. "I'm so glad that you're safe," she then turned and gave Beatrix a big hug. In that moment, Beatrix was glad she decided not to tell the full truth.

"Well," Jennifer said. "Thank you for your time," she and the cameraman stood up. "I'm sure the public would love to hear of your encounter with Batman," and without another word, they walked back down the hall and out the front door.

"Oh, Beatrix," her mother said. "If anything like that ever happens to you again, please be sure to tell me,"

"I will Mom," Beatrix replied. "I'll be sure of it,"

In a dark cave somewhere beneath Wayne Manor, Batman was sitting at the Batcomputer, attempting to find out where the Scarecrows new location was, as he now knew he had moved from the old chemicals building where he had found him last. Batman was going to make sure he would be more careful next time. Batman had been working on finding the Scarecrows location for the past week, and right now, his mind was on the events of the previous week.

As Batman was just waking up, all he could make out was the dim light illuminating the Batcave. He noticed he was lying on a bed of some sort.

"You know, Master Bruce," he heard a voice call out to him. "I am not always _thrilled_ to find an unconscious body in the Batmobile upon your arrival," Batman opened his eyes to see Alfred staring down at him.

"Alfred?" he asked. "What, happened?"

"You tell me, Sir," Alfred replied. "I'm afraid I've already told you everything I know," Batman began to rack his brain for the events of the previous night, until he remembered.

"The Scarecrow!" he shouted. "He used his fear toxin on me!"

"Well that seems unlikely," remarked Alfred. "I've never heard of the _Scarecrow_ doing something like _that,"_

"I have to find out where he is," Batman said as he made his way towards the Batcomputer.

"Your still hurt fairly badly," stated Alfred. "Don't you think you should rest a moment first?"

"I'm fine," Batman quickly said as he turned on the Batcomputer and got to work.

"Very well, Master Bruce," said Alfred. "I believe it is your decision to make after all,"

A small screen broadcasting the local news was set near the Batcomputer, of which Batman was using to figure out the scarecrows location. Batman wouldn't normally pay much attention to the screen, but something the news reporter had said caught his attention.

"And in other news, a 911 call about Batman occurred outside an abandoned chemicals factory in Gotham," Batman stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the screen. "Evidence was found in the building confirming the presence of Batman. Here's what the 911 caller, Beatrix Bennett, has to say," the shot flipped to Beatrix and her mom sitting in a living room. Beatrix then went on to explain the events of the previous week. Eventually, Alfred walked into the room and listened with him.

"Is what the girl said true Master Bruce?" the butler curiously asked.

"Not exactly," replied the Dark Knight. "The girl, Beatrix, left out a few important details. It's not hard to imagine why," Batman then turned to face Alfred, his face as serious and grim as ever. "Beatrix went _inside_ the building to help me,"

"My, goodness," exclaimed Alfred worriedly. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine," replied Batman to comfort the old man. "And it worked. She did help me out a little by distracting the man I was fighting, though I think I would've been fine. As soon as I won the fight, I told her to get out, and she did," Batman turned to look back at the screen. "I didn't know she had called the police,"

"She was only doing what she thought was right. And she did help you," Alfred remarked. "Who knows what could have happened if she weren't there to help you. In fact, you barely made it out alive as it is,"

"I would have been fine," Batman argued, but a smidge of self doubt could not be hidden from his face.

"Going out on these endeavors of yours alone is dangerous. What if you end us in a tight squeeze like that again? Will someone come to help you again?"

"I can't put anyone else in danger," Batman argued.

"Your death will but a lot more people in danger that you realize, Master Wayne," said Alfred. "Your the only one that has a chance of stopping the Scarecrow, and not many people are comforted knowing that only one person has that chance,"

"Beatrix got lucky this time, but she doesn't have the skill to save me again," stated Batman.

"But you do," Alfred said. "You can teach her how to defend herself and others, and with the two of you defending the streets of Gotham, there should be a lot more peace throughout the city," Batman paused to ponder this a moment. He looked back up at the little screen, an image of Beatrix's face being displayed.

"Alfred," he eventually said. "I have a Manor party get-together planned for this evening, of which I'll be hosting, and I think Beatrix will be our guest of honor.

The day after the reporters had come to her house, Beatrix got a phone call, of which her mother, who was already in the kitchen at the time, answered.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Yes, may I speak with Beatrix Bennett?" the man on the other side of the line answered.

"Oh, she's gotten so much attention recently, ever since that incident with Batman," Tina replied. "She's getting her homework done right now. What do you need her for?"

"I just wanted to ask her if she would like to attend a social gathering at Wayne Manor this evening,"

" _Wayne_ Manor?" the woman asked. "The home of Billionaire Bruce Wayne?"

"Yes, that's correct," the man said.

"But, why?" Tina asked suspiciously.

"The master has seen her on the Tely and would like to invite her to get to know her better," Alfred replied. "We would also like to ask the two of you a few questions while your here,"

"Oh, umm," the woman hesitated a moment; she had never been asked anything like this before. "Sure," she finally answered. "We'll be there,"

"Very good," replied Alfred. "We will see you there then," as soon as the man hung up, Tina was sent rushing into Beatrix's room.

"I just got a call," she said a little too huringly. Beatrix was taken aback by her mother's sudden barging into her room. She hesitated a moment before asking,

"A call from who?"

"Bruce Wayne's butler," the woman said in a rush.

"What?" Beatrix asked.

"He said that Bruce said he wanted you to come to this party …"

"Woe, slow down mom," Beatrix politely suggested. "Just slow down and tell me what he said," after taking a few deep breaths, Tina started over.

"Ok," she began. "I got a call from the butler of billionaire Bruce Wayne, who wanted us to come to a party at his mansion tonight so he can get to know you better,"

"And this is all because of that interview I had about my incident with Batman?" asked Beatrix.

"I think so," replied her mother. "He also said that Bruce Wayne will want to ask you some questions once your there," Beatrix started to wonder what sort of questions Bruce Wayne would like to ask her. All she did was _see_ Batman fight through a window, at least, that's what she told Jennifer, and thus, the world. What if Bruce Wayne was one of those people who doesn't believe in Batman, and wanted to talk to her because he thinks she is lying? He would ask her difficult questions like what _exactly_ was he wearing and who _exactly_ was the man he was fighting. Some of these questions she couldn't answer because it was really dark in that room, and she wasn't telling the full truth as it is. Maybe she could make up something to tell him, but if he finds some sort of proof that she was lying, what would he do to her? He's a billionaire, he could do anything. Beatrix was going to have to make sure this wouldn't happen.

"Well if we're going to a party," Tina said. "We'll need to find something for us to wear. Oh, I don't think you have anything nice enough for such a fancy party," she said doubtfully.

"It's ok, Mom," Beatrix said encouragingly. "I'll just wear one of the dresses I already have. I Bruce Wayne really wants me, he'll have to take me however I come,"

"Oh, but we wouldn't want you to stand out, now would we?" asked Tina.

"Mom, I'll already be standing out as the only teenage girl at the party. Why does it matter?" Beatrix was never one to be too concerned over fashion. Her mother, however, was a different story.

"You're going to that party tonight and you're going to look nice," he mother snapped at her. "But we don't have time to go shopping now, so just wear your finest dress, and don't forget to wear makeup,"

"Oh, right," said Beatrix. "I forgot I had that," her mother rolled her eyes and left the room, leaving Beatrix to wonder what this invite was really all about.

That night at Wayne Manor, Beatrix and her mother could be seen walking through the front doors. Beatrix was wearing a short, light colored dress which was the first one she saw upon opening her closet, and a tap of makeup rushingly put on. Her mother on the other hand was wearing a find, long dress and well done makeup, which seemed to have taken hours to fully apply.

The two weren't sure what they were supposed to do, so they just walked in, hoping they would find Bruce Wayne, although they weren't sure what he looked like. Eventually, though, he found them. Bruce was talking to some colleges when he turned and saw Beatrix. He put on a smile and approached.

"Good evening ladies," the man said. Beatrix and her mother turned to look at him. Beatrix began to study his face, his jawline, the color of his eyes, and for a moment, a sense of de-sha-vu came over her, but she wasn't sure where it was from.

"Good evening," Tina replied, acting more sophisticated than she was. "And how are you this evening?"

"Well," Bruce replied. "And you must be Tina," Bruce shook the ladies hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Tina's cheeks turned a faint red.

"A pleasure to meet you too," she said a bit shyly. Bruce Wayne turned to look at the girl standing beside her.

"And you must me Beatrix, correct?" Beatrix nodded slowly, continuing to study his face. Bruce turned back to look at Tina again. "If you don't mind," he said. "I would like to have a talk with your daughter, in private,"

"Of course," Tina quickly said. "Anything,"

"Thank you," Bruce Wayne said as he turned back to look at Beatrix. "Follow me," he turned around and started walking towards a door in the distance. Beatrix hesitated before following.

A paper stuck onto the door read, 'VIP entrance only'. Beatrix assumed she could go anywhere in the mansion as long as she was with Bruce. The two of them slipped into a small office with no one else inside. Bruce closed the door behind him as he walked in and sat at a desk.

"Sit," he suggested and motioned towards a small chair right in front of the desk. Beatrix nervously sat down, he hands and face remaining tense with nerves as she did so. Bruce seemed to notice this about her. "Calm down," he said. "I won't hurt you or intimidate you in any way," Bruce gave the girl a small smile to comfort her.

"But.." Beatrix asked nervously. "Why did you invite me here?" she was still staring into those deep blue eyes, trying to make them out.

"I just wanted to ask you a few questions," Bruce Wayne said softly. "And then, we'll be done here," Beatrix nodded slowly in understanding, but was still in suspicious of him. "Now then," he started. "Have you ever seen Batman prior to last week?" Beatrix shook her head, giving a 'no' to the question. "Could you see what he looked like?"

"I could only make out the fact that he was Batman by his cape and pointy ears," Beatrix quickly answered. "It was dark,"

"I see," Bruce trailed off, as if trying to pinpoint exactly what he wanted to hear. "Were there any other noticeable features about him?" he asked. Beatrix thought about it a moment before answering.

"His jawline was exposed, and his eyes were this deep …" Beatrix took a sudden stop as she noticed Bruce's eyes staring into her. Bruce tilted his head and let his eyes reflect of the light overhead.

"Blue?" Bruce guessed. "Pardon me if I'm wrong, but I believe we've met before," Beatrix felt frozen in place. _Is it possible? Could it really be … ._

"You … you're …" Bruce let out a small smile.

"I thought you might guess it," he said. Beatrix took in a couple deep breaths. _It really is him! But how?_ "And, about that interview," he added. "I see you didn't bother telling the full truth,"

"Uhh …" Beatrix was at a loss for words.

"Thank you for that," he said. "It is better for the both of us that the world doesn't know about what you _really_ did back there," Beatrix sighed in relief. She had made the right decision after all. "And here I was afraid you would go off gloding to all your friends about how you saved Batman," he added. "You're a good kid," Beatrix felt calmer now, and was happy that she got the approval of Bruce Wayne, and not only that, Batman! But soon, her suspicion began to kick in again.

"Wait," she asked. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because," began Bruce. "I need you tell me something," he replied. "I need you to tell me if you are interested in working under me, perhaps, an apprenticeship," Beatrix had pause to consider what Bruce had just said before speaking.

"But, I have school … and …"

"I'll homeschool you," Bruce interrupted. "I'll homeschool you and train you together," Beatrix gave Bruce a questioning look.

"You can _do_ that?"

"Why, yes. Yes I can," Bruce almost sounded offended that Beatrix would question him. "I have the education and skill necessary to teach you,"

"But, mom," said Beatrix. "She would never let me …"

"Your mom doesn't have to know," Bruce tried to make himself sound more reasonable than that. "It would be best if she didn't know. It would protect her from all the things you'll be doing with me,"

"What sort of things?" There was a hint of fear or uncertainty in Beatrix's voice as she spoke.

"Well …" Bruce hesitated for a brief moment. "I will normally go out on patrol late at night, and if I see anything or hear anything on my emergency hotline, I get to the scene and fix the problem," Bruce made it seem like he was having trouble thinking of the things he normally does as Batman, but really he was just hesitant to tell Beatrix the dangers of his night-life.

"And how do you _fix the problem?_ " Beatrix never lost the questioning tone in her voice. It was her way of making herself sound adult, mature, like she knew how to handle herself. She tried her best to bury the dwelling anxiety she felt deep within her belly.

"It normally involves a little violence," Bruce made the quick decision to rip the bandage of fast, but not too fast. "But not always. Sometimes all that's left when I get there is a crime scene, and I'm left to investigate. To figure out exactly what happened,"

"Would I get to learn about detective work?" Beatrix's shifted slightly to a more excited tone. She couldn't help imagining herself helping Batman solve crimes together.

"Yes," Bruce smiled as he spoke, happy to realize he had caught Beatrix's attention in a more positive light. "I would survey the area, looking for any signs of struggle, trying to create a picture of what happened. Then, I would take any evidence I would find and bring it back to the Batcave to be analyzed further," Bruce leaned forward a little before he continued in a lowered voice. "Sometimes, even a single strand of hair can be all the evidence you need to track a villian,"

"Cool," Beatrix seemed fascinated by the concept. She then realized she had let her guard down for a second, but then placed it back up with another question. "And what if it does get violent, what happens then?" Bruce knew he would have to explain this to her, so he finally decided to get it over with.

"Beatrix, I _will_ train you how to defend yourself," he said. "And yes, the risk of getting injured is high. In fact …" Gently, Bruce lifted up part of his shirt on his right side. A long, red scar was visible on his flesh right above the hip. "This was in a fight with Bane," Bruce explained. "He threw me into a glass panel, and one of the shards cut me here," Bruce then rolled up the sleeve on his right arm and revealed to Beatrix another scar on his forearm shaped like tooth markes. "This one's from Killer Croc. He bit me here before I knocked him out by tossing him to the side of a brick wall," Beatrix tried not to show show her fear as she imagined such things happening to her, or worse.

"But because I fought and defeated both Bane and Crock," Bruce went on. "I save tons of innocent lives. I know I could have died, but it was worth every bit of it," Beatrix remembered thinking something similar, she couldn't ignore the sound coming from the old abandoned building because she thought someone could be hurt, and she had to help, even if it meant possibly hurting herself. "You understand this, don't you?" asked Bruce.

Beatrix took a breath before speaking. "I've seen you fight before. I know what you can do,"  
"And you helped me anyway," stated Bruce. "Even if it meant sacrificing yourself. You did the right thing, Beatrix," Beatrix was staring at the tips of her fancy shoes, deep in thought. _My mom would hate it if she found out, but she doesn't have to know. What was it that my brother once said? 'Learn how to be brave, for one day you might have to be.' Maybe that day was closer than I realized. What should I do?_

"You don't have to decide today," Bruce interrupted her thoughts. "We will talk with your mother about it first," Beatrix gave Bruce a puzzled look. "What?" she asked.

"Let's see if she will be alright with your homeschooling," Bruce clarified. "Because that's all she will think I'll be doing with you,"

"In the middle of the night?" Beatrix questioned Bruce.

"Why not?" Bruce asked. "I mean, I'll be working throughout the day with my company and all, it shouldn't be that big of a deal," Beatrix had no idea what her mother would say to that, but she had to try.

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll _think_ about it,"

"Good," Bruce slipped Beatrix a slip of paper. "My number," he said. "If you're sure about this, than give me a call, and the three of us can arrange a meeting," Beatrix took the slip of paper and stuck it in her pocket.

As Bruse and Beatrix walked out of the small room, Beatrix noticed her mother standing alone in a corner of the main hall. A small part of Beatrix felt bad for her, especially since she was gonna have to talk to her about getting homeschooled by someone she hardly knows. Beatrix may have to endure unspeakable dangers under her own mothers nose, something she never would have imagined before, but Beatrix now understood that this was about more than just herself or her mother, this was about all of Gotham, something she now felt obligated to protect.

Tina took notice of her and smiled. Beatrix did her best to force back a smile, hiding the grief inside. Beatrix approached her mother and told her the first thing that was on her mind, something she had done since she was little.

"Mom?" she asked. "I want to go home," Tina gave her a look of relief.

"Me too," she replied. "This place can get so boring. Do you know what rich people talk about? All they do is complain about how hard there life's are and how unfair it is. They have no idea …" Tina went on about this as they headed out the door, not noticing the head of the Manor staring back at them, deep in thought.

Beatrix and her mother stepped into there warm car, escaping the brisk cold of the evening. They drove in silence for a while, while Beatrix could smell the warmth of the heater hitting her face as she started out her window at the few stars shining through the night sky. Eventually, Tina spoke up.

"So," she started. "What did Mr. Wayne talk to you about?" Beatrix remained quiet a moment longer before replying.

"A lot of things," Beatrix wasn't in the mood to talk, but she knew deep down that she didn't have much of a choice.

"Ok," her mother said, trying to stay reasonable. "What did you think was the most important thing he told you," Beatrix sighed. She was going to have to say it eventually, might as well get it over with.

"Mom?" She asked. "What would you say if I told you that I wanted to start being homeschooled?"

"Well I don't know the first thing about teaching,"

"Not by you," Beatrix interrupted. "By someone else,"

"Well I doubt your father knows much about the subject …"

"By Bruce Wayne," there was a moment of silence in the car before continuing.

"Now, why in the world would Bruce Wayne want to homeschool you?" Beatrix hesitated, maybe she should have thought this through.

"I don't know. Something about the whole situation with Batman and that he has too much time on his hands,"

"Well, if a rich man wants it, a rich man is gonna get it," she looked over at her daughter. "Honey, I don't see any reason why this would be a good idea,"

"It's a great idea," argued Beatrix. "Bruce Wayne is already qualified to do it, and it'll open up a lot more free time for me to do other things,"

"Ya, because you just don't have enough free time as it is," Tina replied sarcastically. She was right, Beatrix knew she already had plenty of free time, but she had to think of _something._

"Look, Mom. I'm tired right now, can we talk about this more in the morning?" Beatrix gave her mother the folded up slip of paper in her pocket. "Bruce wants to arrange a meeting about it," Tina took the slip of paper and glanced down at it.

"Well," she began. "If you really think it's best, we'll discuss it,"

"Thank you," soon, the two of them arrived at there house, where Beatrix stepped outside to be met again with the brisk air of the night. She stepped into the warm house and was soon met with the comfort of her blankets. She went to bed that night still in deep thought about the events of the day as she fell asleep.

Beatrix went about her day the next morning without thinking about any of the previous events of the previous day. She woke up, took a shower and got dressed as she did every morning. It wasn't till she walked into the kitchen to eat breakfast that her mother reminded her.

"Beatrix?" She called to her daughter. "I just got off the phone with Bruce Wayne. He wants to have lunch with us at his place," Beatrix stopped in her tracks and started at her mother for a moment. Then, all the events of the previous day came rushing back to her. She sighed in disappointment and took her seat at the table.

"Now, if you don't want to do this we can still cancel the meeting," her mother reassured her.

"I'm, pretty sure I want to do this," Beatrix couldn't deny the part of her that _didn't_ want to do this. The part of her that would rather do anything else. The part of her mind which keeps reminding her of how stupid and dangerous the whole thing is. But another part of her kept repeating her dead brothers words, _Be brave, for one day you might have to be._ Beatrix would imagine herself working alongside Batman. Sometimes she enjoyed it. Other times it terrified her. She would wander what it would be like to have that as a normal part of her everyday life. How could she ever get used to something like that?

Tina made her daughter waffles covered in warm syrup.

"This should make feel better about the whole situation," her mother said.

"Thanks," Beatrix replied half-heartedly. The waffles did make her taste buds feel better, but the churning feeling of anxiety remained in her stomach, along with the warm waffles she was eating.

All Beatrix could do for the rest of the morning was worry about the meeting. She found herself constantly checking the time and trying to find something to do but never could, as if the fear paralyzed her, so that all she could do was sit and wait.

Neither Beatrix nor her mother bothered to put there nice dresses back on. This wasn't a social gathering, this was just Beatrix, her mother and Bruce Wayne. The whole drive back to the manor was completely silent. Soon, Beatrix and her mother was at the same doorstep they stood at the day before.

Tina was the one who knocked, and soon the headmaster's butler answered the door, obviously expecting them.

"Ahh. Beatrix and her mother. Please, do come in," the Butler then held the door open as the two ladies walked in. Beatrix looked around the mansion in aww and for the first time saw how massive it was without people filling it. She imagined again coming here every day to get homeschooled, and maybe she would never get used to it.

Alfred lead the two through a long corridor, decorated with old, expensive paintings and chandeliers lining the ceiling. At the end of hallway, Bruce Wayne was seen sitting at a large table in a room on the other side of an open door. Beatrix looked up at her mother, who was looking around, fascinated by the decor of the manor. Beatrix then turned to Alfred, who maintained a high posture, his hands kept neatly behind his back as he looked onward. He was wearing the nicest of suits and looked fit to be the butler of one of the wealthiest men in Gotham.

Once there, Alfred stepped aside and allowed the two to step into the room. Bruce smiled at the pair as they walked in, and showed them there seats directly across from him.

Beatrix tentatively sat in the large, wooden chair identical to all the rest, her body tense with anxiety. Her mother kept a similar posture, though she failed to look in one place for very long.

"Well, I'm glad you chose to hear me out, Mam," Bruce said looking at Tina. She quickly turned to look at Bruce and gave her best simile.

"It's my pleasure," she had a hurried tone to her voice, which conflicted with Bruce's mellow tone.

"Now, I can assure you that I have qualification to do this,"

"Oh, yes. Beatrix told me," Bruce looked from Tina to Beatrix and back to her mother.

"And, what else has Beatrix told you?" Beatrix immediately knew what Bruce was suspecting her of. She suddenly felt a sense of betrayal. _Why would Bruce accuse me of telling his seacret already? Didn't I show him that I understood how important this is?_ Beatrix thought about how he had just met her, and how he still should be cautious about keeping his secret, which motivated Beatrix to prove that she was trustworthy.

"Just that she wanted to do this," Tina answered. "I'm not sure why though. She likes school and has lots of friends there,"

"Well, I would say _lot's._ " Beatrix remarked.

"And as if you'd make more friends getting homeschooled," Beatrix was shook a little. She couldn't think of any other reasons she would want to be homeschooled by Bruce Wayne other than, _I need to get trained by Batman so I can help him save Gotham._ Beatrix didn't want to imagine actually telling her that. There was a short moment of pause before Bruce broke the silence.

"With me, Beatrix will be able to get a much better, faster education than she could ever get at school," argued Bruce.

"She doesn't need a faster education. I would actually prefer she stay at the house as much as possible," exclaimed Tina.

"But think of all the opportunities I could provide for her," said Bruce. "While I'm not educating her, she can swim in my pool, work out in my gym, and lots of other things and you wouldn't have to pay a thing,"

"But why Beatrix of all people? All you know about her is that she saw Batman once," said Tina.

"Yes, and she was very brave," exclaimed Bruce. "She did the right thing, which is a rare quality amongst most people," Bruce flattered Tina with her daughter. "After the incident, I did my research. She is making very good grades. I think she can go far and I want to help her," Tina thought about that for a moment and then turned to her daughter.

"What do you think Beatrix?" she asked. Beatrix was silent for a moment, unsure what to say.

"I think Bruce is right," she said eventually. "Mom, I've been thinking about my future more and more and I honestly think this is the best option for me right now," Tina sighed and looked at her daughter.

"I'm honestly not sure about any of this," she said. "But if you think this is the best decision for yourself, I won't argue it," Beatrix took a sharp inhale. _Is this it?_

"So, that's a yes then?" she asked.

"For now," answered Tina. "But if you ever change your mind, I won't hesitate to put you back in school," she said strictly.

"Thank you Mom," said Beatrix almost quietly. Beatrix knew that wouldn't happen, because once she committed to something, especially something as big as this, she would never turn back. It was settled, and all the sudden she didn't know what to think about this anymore.

"Great," said Bruce. "I want Beatrix back here tomorrow morning,"

"I can manage that," Tina said. Beatrix knew that she would be coming back to this house almost every day now, and still it was hard to imagine. Beatrix and her mother got up from there seats and were lead by Alfred to the front doors. Beatrix stopped for a second in front of the doorway as her mother walked on through. She then quickly turned back to Bruce and said almost angrily,

"This is not the best thing for me right now,"

"That's not the point," Bruce quietly snapped back at her.

"I know," Beatrix turned back around and ran to catch up with her mother. Bruce sighed as he watched them drive away.

"And you are _sure_ about this Master Bruce?" asked Alfred. Bruce looked to his old friend and said,

"There isn't any going back now,"

Beatrix had trouble sleeping that night. She kept tossing and turning, thinking about the next day. For the first time, she wasn't going to school that Monday. For the first time, she was going to be a sort of apprentice to Bruce Wayne, to Batman. She didn't know how she was supposed to take it, or even if she could take it. She didn't know how her friends at school would take it, or how much they would ever know about eh whole thing, or if she would ever see any of them again. She kept telling herself that this was worth it. That this is about so much more than her, for the time being, all she could think about was her, and she wasn't sure if she would be able to think about anything else once someone needed her to.

Beatrix woke up the next morning feeling half reasted. At first she got up and got ready for the day as usual. She walked into the living room after taking a shower and saw her backpack sitting in it's spot on the couch. She stared at it for a moment, and was interrupted by her mother.

"Beatrix?" she said. "I just got off the phone with your school. They know,"

"How much?" Beatrix asked curiously.

"Just that you'll be getting homeschooled from now on. Nothing more," Beatrix wasn't sure if she should be relieved by that or not. She had no idea how her friends would react if they knew the full story, or at least as much as they were allowed to know. Maybe this was for the best.

Beatrix walked out of the living room and into the kitchen for breakfast. She ate quickly and got in the car with nothing but herself. She asked her mom if she should bring anything, but her mom couldn't think of anything. The drive back to the manor seemed so much longer than usual for Beatrix that day. She tried to occupy herself by counting every blue car that passed but it only seemed to make the trip longer. Beatrix told herself that there was nothing else she could do to be ready, so why should she worry? But sitting in the car not having anything to due was not preferable to her, and the trip lengthened.

Tina turned onto the familiar road and Beatrix watched the manor grow closer and closer as they drove. Tina parked in front of the house and watched as Beatrix just sat there, staring at the house for a moment.

"Hey," said Tina, interrupting the silence. "I know you'll be just fine,"

"I know," replied Beatrix. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. Beatrix noticed the tensity in her legs as she walked towards the large front door. She soon arrived to be met with the tall, old Butler opening the door for her. He nodded as she walked inside. Bruce Wayne was waiting for her inside.

"Good morning," he said as she walked in.

"Morning," Beatrix quietly replied. Alfred shut the door behind Beatrix and walked off, leaving only the two of them, as it was to be for the next several hours.

"First things first," started Bruce with a hint of excitement to his tone. "You should learn where you'll be spending most of your time," Bruce lead Beatrix down a hallway, and stopped at an old grandfather clock.

"This was my fathers before he passed," said Bruce, staring at the clock. "He said that it was never a second off," Bruce turned back to Beatrix, who was staring at him in confusion. "Watch carefully," Bruce turned back towards the clock the pulled it open like a door. Beatrix stared in amazement. Behind the old clock was a door. It was metallic, like an elevator door. Bruce then placed his thumb on a finger scanner next to the door and it opened for him. Bruce then stepped inside the elevator and beckoned Beatrix to join him. She hesitated a moment before stepping inside. The door closed behind her and the two of them began moving downwards. It wasn't anything like any elevator Beatrix had ever been in before. The walls squeaked against the rocks as them moved down and the little box they were in shook as it moved down. Down into the earth.

The elevator doors opened in front of them and the first thing that caught her eye was a giant statue of a dinosaur standing in front of her. As she continued to look around, she noticed a giant penny leaning up against one of the great cave walls and a giant computer on another.

"This is where you will come every morning from here on out to start your training," said Bruce. "Follow me," Bruce Wayne then began to walk quickly and confidently towards the opposite side of the cave. Beatrix followed, curious and amazed at the same time. Soon the two of them walked into another room within the cave. It was filled with training equipment, witch almost reminded Beatrix of the workout room at her old school, the school she would normally be attending right about now. She checked her watch. It was almost time for second period to start. She began to wander what her friends might be thinking about her, or if they even realized she was gone.

Bruce turned to look at Beatrix. "Now, all I want for now is to test your limits. I want to see how far you can go. And every day we will work to improve your results from today. You will he tested again in a month. Understood?" Beatrix nodded quickly, her mind now back on what was going on. "Alright," said Bruce. "You see that mat down there?" He pointed at the mat lying on the floor. Beatrix nodded again. "Get down there and give me twenty push ups." Beatrix hesitated for a moment, and then got down on the floor and began working out. "1… 2…"


	3. Chapter 3

It went on like that every day. Once Beatrix was done with her physical training, Bruce would teach Beatrix just like she would get thought at school, only it was private, one to one. And Bruce taught much faster than any of her teachers at her old school, her got to the point and moved on, and she liked it. She would do that every day as part of a routine and her mom would come to pick her up in the evening. Her mom would always ask her how school was as if she was still going to a normal school. Beatrix would say it was fine and then maybe tell her something about what Bruce had thought her that day, and she would get taken back up to the manor in the morning to start it all over again.

Beatrix learned a lot about Batman during her time at the mansion, or underneath it. She learned that every day, after her mom came to pick Beatrix up, Batman would go out on night patrols around the city. Batman also got police and radio calls, and when there was trouble going down somewhere in the city, Batman would be there to take care of it.

Once, Beatrix asked why Bruce risks his life every night to go dress up as a bat and stop bad guys. Bruce told Beatrix about his parents death, and what that meant to him. This also answered Beatrix's second question, how come he never uses guns.

Amongst all this, what scared Beatrix most is learning about super villains. The Joker, Penguin, Riddler. Hearing about what these people have done and what Batman has had to do to stop them made Beatrix second guess herself sometimes, but Bruce told her that his Batman persona is meant to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies. He is the _embodiment_ of fear, and showing fear would ruin the allusion. Over time, Beatrix would learn to hide her fear, and knowing that she will be fighting for the greater good helped some, but she couldn't deny the horror of it all. Beatrix would contemplate the mentality of some of those people. She wondered what could drive a person to do something so horrible. She tried not to think about it too often.

Most of the time, while Beatrix was practicing her martial arts combos, Bruce was on the computer, looking for evidence on the whereabouts of the Scarecrow. Bruce has told Beatrix the real reason her was in that abandoned warehouse that night. Beatrix shuddered to think about what would have happened if something had gone wrong, or if she hadn't been there.

One day, a few months after the first day, Beatrix was in the middle of working out when Batman claimed he found a potential lead to the Scarecrows location.

"How do you know he didn't just ditch town?" Asked Beatrix.

"Because," said Bruce. "He hasn't gotten what he needed yet."

"And what would that be?"

"Scarecrow was in that chemicals factory for a reason. I think he was making fear toxin to infect the city. He thinks he can control the city through fear."

"So where do you think he is?" Asked Beatrix.

"I think he's moved his chemical manufacturing underground. In the sewers. I've pinpointed a location," Bruce shows Beatrix a map of Gotham sewers.

"And you think The Scarecrow has been creating this fear toxin under our noses for three months?"

"It takes a long time to find the right components for the formula, but he's not making just a single vial of the stuff, he's making enough for everyone in Gotham city."

"Is there an antidote?"

"Most of the time, the effects wear off after a couple hours. But if The Scarecrow really is planning to cove the city in this stuff, it will never have time to wear off. He will have complete control over the city, unless I stop him first."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tonight."

"Can I come?" Batman turned to look at Beatrix.

"Beatrix, you're not ready to take people like The Scarecrow on your own,"

"I won't be alone, you'll be there," argued Beatrix.

"You'll get yourself hurt,"

"But I've gotten so much better at defending myself than I was before,"

"But your still not good enough. Going out and actually fighting people is a lot different than your training,"

"But you never let me go with your. You said you even have a suit for me ready to go. I know how to fight. I know how to think on my feet. I know how to use all those gadgets. I know I'm ready,"

"No, you're not." Bruce took a long sigh. "Look, your mom is about to be here for you. I'm gonna go scout the area for any thugs, or The Scarecrow himself. You stay here until your mom gets here," Beatrix watched as Bruce put on the Batsuit over himself and drove off in the car.

Beatrix was silent a moment.

"Shall I grab your coat for you, madam?"

"No, Alfred," she turned to face the butler. "Call my mom. Tell her we're running a little late," and with that, Beatrix rushed towards the case where her suit was kept.

"But, mistress Beatrix …"

"Not now, Alfred," once fully dressed, Beatrix made her way towards the motorcycle.

"Do you even know how to work that thing?"

"Sure I do. My dad used to teach me on his old one," Beatrix strapped on the helmet and started up the engine. "I've just never ridden one on my own," and before Alfred could say anything else, Beatrix drove off down the tunnel and made her way towards the sewer entrance.

Beatrix soon came upon the place located on her map, only after a few mishaps with the motorcycle. She knew she was several minutes behind Batman, maybe about half an hour even though they left at almost the same time. Beatrix kept getting herself lost and having trouble figuring out how to get started on her own. But now, she had finally made it, and Batman has kindly left the sewer cap open for her.

Beatrix left the motorcycle propped up near the sewer entrance, near where she eventually realized was the Batmobile. Beatrix made her way down the set of latter leading to the sewer floor. She soon smelt a musky sewer stench, a combination of all the things that went down there. It was pitch black, with the entrance now at tiny dot high above her. Beatrix was surprised when she felt her foot hit the floor. She found the flashlight strapped to her utility belt and looked around. There was a cement floor and sewer water ran right down the middle. The bricked walls formed archways leading into different tunnels.

Beatrix gripped the flashlight tightly around her fist as she intensely listened for any sort of sound that could have been made by life, but all she could hear was the sharpness of her breath and the pounding of her heart. After taking a moment to collect herself, beatrix pulled the tracker to Batman out of her belt, and followed the straight, narrow yellow line displaying on the glowing screen down one of the tunnels.

As she walked down the murky sewage passageway, Beatrix found herself doubting herself more and more. Little voices from the back of her mind arrose to the front of her head in the form of questions. _Could Killer Croc still be down here? Is Batman alright? What is he going to think of me when he find out what I did?_ These voices Beatrix eventually named voices of reason and was about to decide to turn back when a loud noise from the near distance came, stopping her in her tracks. She was dead silent for a moment, waiting for another sound to emerge. Soon, she became curious of the cause of the sound and quickly headed in it's direction.

Beatrix soon heard another sound getting louder and louder as she began to pick up speed. Soon, she arrived in a large, open area in the sewage. She beamed her flashlight around the dark edges of the sewer, searching for a sign of life. The sound of water splashing behind her made her jump and quickly turn around. Rippled were left behind in the water. Beatrix gave a fearful gulp and she approached the water, expecting the worst. A small noise from deep within the water began to rise up, getting louder and louder as it got closer and closer. Suddenly, a giant figure lunged out from within the water with a roaring screech. Beatrix shrieked in fear but jumped out of the way just in time.

Beatrix then quickly stood and obtained her trained fighting stance, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. Killer Croc seemed confused for a moment, and just then Beatrix noticed a glowing device strapped to the Crocs neck. Crock whirled his massive head around and looked at Beatrix, eyes glowing yellow with hatred. He then let out a massive roar and lunged again at Beatrix.

Beatrix had spared with Batman several times before, but this was nothing like that. All she could think to do was continue dodging his attacks and hopefully tire him out. She couldn't silence the nagging thought in her mind that it only took one slip up before. . .

Suddenly, Beatrix saw a dark figure land on top of the beast. Killer Croc screeched and flug his body upwards in an attempt to through the figure off. He held on tight, and was soon able to cut the device from the massive beasts neck. Batman quickly jumped off the monster and positioned himself for a battle. The great beast swerved his head around towards the Dark Knight, and in a low whisper, spoke.

" You're too late, Batman. He's coming," the monster let out a roar which shook the walls of the sewer as Batman prepared an attack. The beast lunged towards the crusader, but Batman dodged his attack almost too easily. Crock reared his head and stared at Batman, as if expecting something. Suddenly, a beeping noise came sounded and the monster cocked his head to find the source of the sound. In an instant, a miniature explosion erupted on Crocs belly, near where Batman had just been moments before. The monster howled in pain and stepped back. Batman used this moment to approach Beatrix.

"We have to go, _now_ " Batman said in a stern voice.

"But, what about . . ."

"Now!" Batman grabbed Beatrix around the waist and grappled his way up the sewer. Killer Croc roared again.

"It's too late, Batman! Finally, you're just too late!" the monsters roars faded into the distance as Batman and Beatrix ascended upwards.

"What was that?" Beatrix asked when a moment of silence finally occurred. "That thing you broke off of his neck?"

"It was a heart monitor," Batman replied. The two soon landed safely on a perch near the top of the sewer. "I thought I told you to stay behind,"

"Well, you did but I wasn't going to just. . ."

"Just _what_?" Batman interrupted once more. "Just _obey_ me? Just do as I _say_? Just stay safe in the comfort of your own home? You could have _died_ "

"Well, I didn't mean to . . . I just wanted to. . ."

"Oh I know what you wanted. You felt like you had something to prove, so you just wondered here all willy nilly and hoped an opportunity would come up when you could prove something to me,"

"Umm. . ." Beatrix wass at a loss of words. Batman took a deep breath.

"Look, I think that that heart monitor on Killer Croc was put there by The Scarecrow. It functioned as an alarm system, so when Croc's heart rate went up, The Scarecrow would know were here. He was expecting us. It was a trap," Batman looked sternly at Beatrix. "It was a trap and you set it off,"

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Beatrix made an effort to defend herself, but to no avail.

"How were you supposed to know? How were you supposed to know you shouldn't have followed me here in the first place. How were you supposed to know to do as I say? We need to get back to the batcave. Scarecrow might have another trap for us set up in there. We could have died,"

"I was handling myself just fine against Croc. I would have been fine,"

"You were not prepared to fight Croc. No, not we could have died, _you_ could have died," Batman looked back up towards the surface. "Come,"

Batman and Beatrix quietly made their way back up the sewer.

Neither Batman nor Beatrix spoke on the long journey back home. When they finally arrived back in the Batcave, Beatrix got ready to go home.

"Your not going anywhere," Batman soon interrupted as Beatrix was gathering her things.

"What?" she asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean your not going anywhere!" shouted Batman. "You are going to stay in the Batcave and train until you've learned your lesson,"

"But my mom will be expecting me home," Beatrix argued.

"I'm sure your mother will understand the consequences of homeschooling," and he was right. She would understand and she knew it.

"But that's not fair!" protested Beatrix.

"Life isn't fair. Get used to it. Go to your room," after a moment or two of pure silence, Beatrix ran out of the cave and back up to the manor, leaving Batman alone in the cave.

Batman took a long deep breath before sitting back down at the computer. After a few moments, Alfred came strutting in through the elevator door with his masters dinner on a silver platter held high. The Butler then sat the platter down next to the brooting Bruce Wayne, who pushed the meal aside.

"You must eat, Master Bruce," compelled Alfred.

"I'm not hungry right now. I'm trying to focus on my work," argued the billionaire.

"You can eat first and worry about your work afterwards," suggested the Butler. Bruce Wayne sat in silence, staring at his computer screen, almost blankly, as if at a loss for what to do. Alfred broke the silence with a thought. "Beatrix seemed particularly upset. What do you plan on doing next?" And with a sigh, Bruce replied.

"Having a teenager help me with my work was never going to be a good idea. I'm thinking about letting her go,"

"But, Master Bruce, she already knows too much," Alfred replied concerningly.

"I'll figure it out, but this job is too dangerous for her. I can't risk her getting hurt, or worse. If I hadn't been there. . ." Bruce trailed off into silence.

"Master Bruce, you can't be sure she would have died. Mistress Beatrix is very good at thinking on her feet. She might of found a way to escape,"

"And what if she didn't? Who's fault would that be? What would I tell her mother?" Bruce shouted the last bit and slumped back down into his chair with a look of defeat on his face.

"I understand, Master Bruce," the Butler said in defeat. "But I'm still unsure of something. What had you planned on doing before Mistress Beatrix got involved?" A moment of silence followed the Butter's question before Bruce could think of an answer.

"I would have thought of something. I just needed to figure out a way to get the monitor off Croc's neck without him noticing. That way I could question him about the Scarecrows true wareabouts without him ever knowing I was ever there," Bruce's face darkened. "And now he's onto us,"

"Do you remember Croc saying anything while you two were down there?" asked the intelligent Butler Alfred.

"Only that it's too late. That it's finally too late," replied Bruce. "As if the Scarecrows plan had already been set into motion,"

"And what exactly _are_ The Scarecrows motives?" asked the Butler.

"I believe he plans on infecting the cities water supply with his fear toxin," answered Bruce. "There could have been some toxin already in the sewer system,"

"Beatrix did get some of the sewage water on her boots. I there were traces of toxin in the water. . ." Suddenly, Bruce Wayne sat up straight in his chair.

"That's it," he then quickly stood up and grabbed Beatrix's uniform out of its compartment. "If I can find traces of the toxin on Beatrix's clothes, I can use it's signature to trace the Scarecrows location using the Bat-computer," Bruce then scraped a piece of sewage muck from the boots onto the computers scanner. Bruce then began frantically typing line of code into the computer until in began beeping with a tracing signal. A map displayed on the computer screen. One signature it displayed was in the middle of the Gotham sewage, the other, was on the other side of town in what looked like an abandoned alleyway, a place Batman had yet to visit.

"That's it!" exclaimed Bruce excitedly. "I have to go tell Beatrix," Bruce quickly made his way up to the manor and ran into Beatrix's room. "Beatrix!" he shouted but when he opened the door no one was there. "Beatrix?" Bruce called and made his way around the manor. "Beatrix where are you?"

"Perhaps she made her way back to her house in anger," suggested the Butler. Bruce stopped dead in his tracks. "That girl," Bruce mumbled angrily under his breath and made his way to the car. Bruce then drove off towards the Bennet family household.

The billionaires new, expensive looking convertible stuck out in the neighborhood where Beatrix lived, but Bruce took little heed to this as he made his way towards the house. Upon his arrival, Bruce noticed what looked like a note folded up on the houses doorstep. Bruce quickly walked up towards the letter, picked it up and unfolded it.

 _I have the girl. You know where to find me._

Batman stared silently at the note in his hands for a moment and soon watched it crumble. He dropped the wadded piece of paper on the ground and made his way back to the car. The man then sped off back down to the manor, rushed inside, and made his way down towards the cave. Soon, with his full uniform on, Batman jumped into the Batmobile and sped off into the night.

And this time, he knew exactly what he was gonna do.


	4. Chapter 4

City lights alit the night sky and the sound of the batmobile roaring down the streets of Gotham could be heard from a mile away. The vehicles destination was set on the abandoned buildings of Old Gotham, with one in particular housing hundreds of containers of fear toxin, and hopefully a 15-year- old girl, waiting to be rescued.

The sky darkened as the Batmobile approached Old Gotham, filled with homeless beggars and trashy sites. The vehicle slowed as it approached the tall, abandoned building as it stood menacingly. Batman was quick to cover up his car and rushed inside.

Complete darkness hit Batman immediately as he entered the building. Batman whipped out his flashlight and looked around. He old walls had been torn and wallpaper had peeled over time. The room has a musky scent to it, with dust filling the floor and the air. Eventually, Batman came upon a chair, sitting in the middle of the large room. Upon that chair, a girl with long, dark hair sat tied up. Her head was nodded forward, obviously unconscious.

Despite every intuition he had that pointed to this being a trap, Batman quickly ran over to Beatrix and started to untie her. Just then, what sounded like a hissing noise came from somewhere in the building. Batman was quick to think, and from a secret compartment in his utility belt, he pulled out a matching pair of smoke masks. Batman strapped one of the masks around the unconscious Beatrix before putting on his own mask. Batman then finished untying Beatrix from the chair she was restrained to. The room soon became covered in a green haze, making the flashlight next to useless. Batman quickly lifted Beatrix over his shoulder and made his way towards the exit. Suddenly, Batman felt something touching his neck. Before he could react, Batman's mask was ripped right from his face. He quickly turned around and attempted to catch the pursuer, but it was too dark to see anything.

Batman struggled, trying to find someplace to go, just to get out of the building. A faint screaming is heard coming from somewhere in the building. Batman looked around to find the source of the noise, but to no avail. At this point, he could hardly see a foot in front of him. And yet, Batman recognizes this screaming from somewhere, so he keeps looking. The screams grow louder and louder until he finally realizes its his mother's scream coming from inside his head. He's losing his mind. He considers removing Beatrix's mask to replace his, but he soon realizes that the toxin is probably most likely in his bloodstream, and Beatrix could probably do more than he could now.

Beatrix slowly begins to open her eyes. A sudden shock of pain comes from her head, a friendly reminder that she had been knocked out. She attempts to looks around, but all she can see is the green fog covering the room, which was when she noticed the gas mask strapped to her head. The next thing Beatrix notices is the large man carrying her. She doesn't recognize him at first, and tries to struggle free of his grasp. She then looks up at the man's head and sees the two point ear's coming out from the top of his head. Beatrix takes in a sigh of relief. Then she notices Batman's face, exposed. In a moment of shock, Beatrix attempts to remove her own mask to replace his. Batman quickly grabbed Beatrix's arm and sets her on the ground.

"I'm sorry," Batman was just able to muster in a week voice. "It's too late for me," Batman grunted in pain and grabbed his head, attempting to shake off the relentless screaming. "Find Scarecrow," and with that, Batman toppled over onto the floor, unable to go any further. Beatrix felt herself start to hyperventilate. _What do I do? Where should I go?_ Beatrix couldn't make herself think. All the sudden, she remembered something she had heard from long ago. _Learn how to be brave, for one day you might have to be. Just do what you have to do at the moment. Use what you have._ Beatrix began frantically looking around her. She noticed she had been stripped of her weapons, so she looked in the next best place, on Batman himself. The Dark Knight was barely still conscious at this point. Beatrix quickly wrapped her arms around Batman's waist, feeling for anything she could use.

The first thing Beatrix noticed was a sharp, metal object. She pulled it out and immediately recognized what it was, a Batarang. Beatrix strapped the weapon to her waist and went back for more. She then found two other things, a smoke bomb and the Batclaw. She shoved the bomb into her pocket and held onto the Batclaw. Next, she had to be able to get out, it was impossible to see inside. She couldn't tell where she was, so she just started running forward.

Soon, she hit a wall. She started running her hand across the wall, looking for a door or a window. Eventually, she came across a large door. Praying the door wasn't locked, Beatrix began pushing on the metal door with all her might. The door began to crack open with a _creek_ and Beatrix quickly slipped outside.

Beatrix began running. Her mind was on hyper speed and all she could think to do was run.

"Where do you think your going?" she heard a scratchy voice from behind her. This only made her run faster. She wasn't safe here. She had to get to safety.

Beatrix soon came upon the Batmobile, covered in a black sheet. She was about to get in when she looked back.

 _Batman is still in there._ She thought. _I have to help him._ Beatrix remembered how well it went last time. But what would Batman do now? He was probably unconscious at this point, and he was at The Scarecrows mercy. If she didn't do anything, Batman would get hurt, and Scarecrow would poison the water supply with the fear toxin. But if she did try to help, she could get herself hurt, and Batman would be powerless to do anything about it. Beatrix knew if she left Batman for dead, she would never be able to forgive herself. Taking a deep breath, Beatrix turned around and made her way back towards the building.

Beatrix soon approached the building. She knew that if she went back inside, she wouldn't be able to see. Maybe there was another way? Beatrix looked up towards the roof. It was high up, but not unclimbable, especially not with the Batclaw. Aiming carefully, Beatrix shot the Batclaw towards the edge of the rooftop. With a clamp, the claw grabbed onto the roof. Beatrix pushed the button and began speeding her way up towards the rooftop. Once atop the roof, she began running, trying to find an entrance back inside, or maybe something else that could help her find Scarecrow, but there was no need. Beatrix heard something like a scratching noise coming from behind her. She stood dead still for a moment, then, she slowly turned her head around.

Behind her, Beatrix saw a large, slim man standing behind her. Beatrix could barely make out the long, pointed gas mask strapped to the mans face, along with a long pointed hat, completing the look. The Scarecrow had made his way up the roof, following Beatrix and was now coming for her. Beatrix slipped the Batarang out from her waist and armed herself with it. A weak, scratchy laugh came from the tall, slim man.

"What exactly is your plan, little girl?" Scarecrow asked degradingly. "Are you going to stop we and save your precious Batman?" Scarecrow gave out another laugh. As he spoke, Beatrix slowly began to pull the smoke bomb out of her back pocket.

"He's your hero, Isn't he? Your idle," stated Scarecrow. "Trust me on this, girl. Your never going to be a good as him. Especially now that he's about to die and you will have no more mentor," Beatrix slowly removed the needle from the bomb and, in an instant, through the bomb directly at The Scarecrow. A giant burst of smoke suddenly appeared right at The Scarecrows feet, leaving him shocked and confused. Beatrix immediately began running, Batarang in hand. She was soon able to spot The Scarecrow, bent over, coughing on smoke, and most importantly, facing away from her.

Beatrix aimed the weapon carefully and launched it right at the back of his head, sending him toppling over. Beatrix ran towards him through the fading smoke. The Scarecrow was dazed, but not out. His gas mask had been cut off and was lying on the roof beside him. Beatrix quickly grabbed the mask off the ground and headed back inside for Batman.

Beatrix used the Batclaw go grapple herself back down to the ground and made her way back inside the building. The room had mostly cleared of the toxin through the open door, but Beatrix dared not take off her mask. She quickly found Batman lying on the floor and she ran towards him. Batman was in this half-conscious state and gave Beatrix a hazy stare as she held him.

Beatrix shook Batman, trying to wake him up. Eventually, Batman grunted and looked at Beatrix.

"I'm still intoxicated," whispered Batman in a hoarse voice. "But I think I can stand," and with Beatrix's help, Batman slowly stood back up. He was a little wobbly, but it was good enough for now. In an instant, Beatrix heard the large, metal door swing open. The Scarecrow stood still at the doors entrance, his pointed hat lopsided atop his head. For the first time, Beatrix could clearly see his face. He seemed rather old and tired, with sunken eyes, a sharp chin and frown line around his face.

"You won't get away from me that easily!" Scarecrow yelled to the best of his abilities. Beatrix quickly armed herself with the Batarang but Batman held his hand in front of her.

"I've got this," he whispered to her. "Trust me," and for the first time, Beatrix did not argue. She simply nodded her head and lowered her weapon. Batman then removed his own weapon and carefully aimed it. Scarecrow showed a freakish smile and dodge the weapon just as it came flying at him. The battle was on.

One thing Beatrix noticed that she hadn't noticed before as she stood watching the battle unfold before her was a line of bombs strapped around Scarecrows waist. They reminded her of the smoke bomb she had used just a moment ago. It took a moment for Batrix to think of what they most likely were. Fear toxin bombs. But he wouldn't dare use them now. Not without his mask on. Maybe if there were a way for Batman to use those bombs against his somehow. But he doesn't have a mask on either. But _she_ did. If only. . .

Batman was clearly the better fighter, but Scarecrow was quick and cunning. He was able to dodge most of Batman's attacks and wait for the perfect moment to strike. If this kept up, he would eventually get the upper hand. Batman knew he needed a was to end the fight as soon as possible. Batman caught eye of Beatrix staring at them. She had removed her mask and seemed to be showing it to him. But why would he need a gas mask? The gas in here had cleared. Then he noticed the string of bombs strapped to Scarecrows waist. Of Course.

Batman quickly headed towards Beatrix and she passed off the mask. Batman kept the mask hidden behind him for the moment. Scarecrow seemed confused.

"And what exactly are you planning on doing with that?" he asked the Dark Knight. Batman didn't answer, he only gave Scarecrow the stink eye and pulled out another Batarang. Then, he quickly rushed towards Scarecrow. He let out another smile as he was about to dodge him again. He did, except this time, Batman was aiming for his waist.

The moment the first bomb hit the floor Batman strapped on the mask and headed back for Beatrix. As the two of them made the way out of the building, they could hear The Scarecrow screaming in fear behind them.

The duo made there way towards the Batmobile, jumped in and spread off down the streets of Gotham. Behind them, they could hear police sirens going off, coming to collect there prize.

Batman and Beatrix both were catching their breath, trying to wrap their heads around what just were quiet for a moment, before Beatrix began to speak.

"I'm sorry about what happened back there. I shouldn't have even left the house in the first place. I just, I thought I was about to be let go," Batman sighed in response.

"I will admit it, I did consider it," said Batman. "But I'm glad I didn't. You showed me how smart and quick thinking you can be back there, and that's at least half the battle," Batman sighed. "I know exactly what it feels like. To feel like you have to do something, even though you know there's nothing you can do, you have to try," Beatrix stared out the window and into the night sky. Still a few stars showed through the city lights. "Sometimes, it can get you into a lot of trouble, and other times," Batman turned to look at Beatrix. "It could save a life," Beatrix turned to look at Batman. "Not only are you smart and quick thinking Beatrix, but your brave, and always willing to think of others before yourself," Batman smiled at the young girl. "I would be honored to have you as my sidekick," Beatrix smiled back.

"It would be my honor to be here," and with that, the dynamic duo raced into the night towards the Batcave. Always ready for when the city would need them once more.


End file.
